1847
Year 1847 (MDCCCXLVII) was a common year starting on Friday (link will display the full calendar) of the Gregorian Calendar (or a common year starting on Wednesday of the 12-day slower Julian calendar). Events of 1847 January - June * January 4 - Samuel Colt sells his first revolver pistol to the United States government. * January 13 - The Treaty of Cahuenga ended the fighting of the Mexican-American War in California. * January 16 - John C. Fremont is appointed Governor of the new California Territory. * January 30 - Yerba Buena, California is renamed San Francisco. * February 5 - A rescue effort, called the First Relief, leaves Johnson's Ranch to save the ill-fated Donner Party. These California bound emigrants became snowbound in the Sierra Nevada in the winter of 1846–1847, and some had resorted to cannibalism to survive. * February 22 - Mexican-American War: The Battle of Buena Vista - 5,000 American troops under General Zachary Taylor use their superiority in artillery to drive off 15,000 Mexican troops under Antonio López de Santa Anna defeating the Mexicans the next day. * March 1 - The state of Michigan formally abolishes the death penalty. * March 1 - Faustin Soulouque declares himself Emperor of Haiti. * March 9 - Mexican-American War: United States forces under General Winfield Scott invade Mexico near Veracruz. * March 14 - Verdi's Macbeth premieres at Teatro della Pergola in Florence. * March 29 - Mexican-American War: United States forces led by General Winfield Scott take Veracruz after a siege. * April 15 - The Lawrence School is established. * May 7 - In Philadelphia, the American Medical Association (AMA) is founded. * June 1 - First congress of the Communist League, in London. * June 27 - The first train journey in Denmark takes place, the train drove from Copenhagen to Roskilde July - December * July 1 - The United States issues its first postage stamps. * July 24 - After 17 months of travel, Brigham Young leads 148 Mormon pioneers into Salt Lake Valley, resulting in the establishment of Salt Lake City. * July 26 - Liberia gains independence. * July 29 - Cumberland School of Law founded at Cumberland University in Lebanon, Tennessee. At the end of 1847 only 15 law schools exist in the United States. * August 12 - US troops of general Winfield Scott begin to advance along the aqueduct around Chalco and Xochimilco lakes in Mexico * August 20 - US troops defeat Mexican troops in Valencia, Mexico * September 30 - The Vegetarian Society was formed in the United Kingdom. It remains the oldest in the world. * October 12 - German inventor and industrialist Werner von Siemens founds Siemens AG & Halske. * October 31 - Theta Delta Chi founded at Union College. Undated * Ottoman Empire cedes Abadan Island to the Persian Empire. * Abd al-Kader is captured and imprisoned by the French. * Founding of the Architectural Association School of Architecture * Emily Brontë publishes Wuthering Heights under the pen name of Ellis Bell. * Charlotte Brontë publishes Jane Eyre: An Autobiography under the pen name of Currer Bell * The North Carolina General Assembly incorporates the railroad town of Goldsborough, and the Wayne county seat is moved to the new town. Ongoing events * Mexican-American War (1846-1848) * Great Irish Famine (1845-1849). This was the worst year of the famine, and is referred to as Black 47. Births January - June * January 28 - Dorus Rijkers, Dutch naval hero (d. 1928) * February 8 - Hugh Price Hughes, Methodist Social Reformer, First Superintendent of the West London Mission (d. 1902) * February 11 - Thomas Alva Edison, American inventor (d. 1931) * February 15 - Robert Fuchs, Austrian composer (d. 1927) * February 16 - Philipp Scharwenka, Polish-German composer (d. 1917) * March 3 **Alexander Graham Bell, Scottish-born inventor (d. 1922) **Adelaide Neilson, English actress (d. 1880) * March 4 - Karl Bayer, Austrian chemist (d. 1904) * March 14 - Castro Alves, Brazilian poet (d. 1871) * March 27 - Otto Wallach, German chemist, Nobel Prize laureate (d. 1931) * April 10 - Joseph Pulitzer, Hungarian-born journalist and newspaper publisher (d. 1911) *May 7 - Archibald Primrose, Prime Minister of the United Kingdom (d. 1929) *June 8 - Ida Saxton McKinley, U.S. First Lady (d. 1907) * June 11 - Millicent Fawcett, British suffragist and feminist (d. 1929) July - December *July 9 - Wong Fei Hung, Chinese healer and revolutionary (d. 1924) * July 25 - Paul Langerhans, German pathologist and biologist (d. 1888) * August 14 - Robert Comtesse, member of the Swiss Federal Council (d. 1922) * September 5 - Jesse James, American outlaw (d. 1882) * October 1 - Annie Besant, English women's rights activist, writer and orator.(d. 1933) * October 2 - Paul von Hindenburg, President of Germany (d. 1934) * October 14 - Chiquinha Gonzaga, Brazilian composer (d. 1935) * November 26 - Dagmar of Denmark, empress of Tsar Alexander III of Russia (d. 1928) * December 7 - George Grossmith, English actor and comic writer (d. 1912) * December 18 - Augusta Holmès, French composer (d. 1903) * November 30 - Afonso Pena, Brazilian president (d. 1909) *December 17 - Michel-Joseph Maunoury, French General during World War I (d. 1923) * December 28 - Giuseppe Maria Giulietti, Italian explorer (d. 1881) *''date unknown'' - Hale Johnson, American temperance movement leader (d. 1902) Deaths *January - Abbasgulu Bakikhanov, Azerbaijani writer (b. 1794) *January 19 - Charles Bent, first Governor of New Mexico Territory (assassinated) *March 9 - Mary Anning, British paleontologist (b. 1799) *April 30 - Archduke Charles of Austria, Austrian general (b. 1771) *May 14 - Fanny Mendelssohn, German composer and pianist (b. 1805) *May 29 - Emmanuel, French marshal (b. 1766) *July 3 - Matěj Kopecký, puppeteer (b. 1775) *September 4 - František Vladislav Hek, Czech patriot (b. 1769) *September 13 - Nicolas Oudinot, French marshal (b. 1767) *October 3 - Charles Hatchett, English chemist (b. 1765) *October 22 - Negus Sahle Selassie of Shewa *November 4 - Felix Mendelssohn, German composer (b. 1809) *December 14 - Manuel José Arce, Central American politician (b. 1787) : See also 1847 deaths.